Stovetop fires are a well-known residential and commercial hazard. An unattended stovetop fire, for example a grease fire, can cause damage to nearby appliances and cabinets. Worse, stovetop fires can lead to structural damage or injury. Because the propensity for stovetop fires is so pervasive, an efficient means of automatic fire suppression is desired. Even if a stovetop fire is attended, an automatic extinguishing method may be more effective and expedient compared to manual means.
A number of conventional automatic stovetop fire extinguishers, which mount above the stovetop surface, are available. These include: U.S. Pat. No. 6,276,461 to Stager; U.S. Pat. No. 6,105,677 to Stager; U.S. Pat. No. 5,899,278 to Mikulec; U.S. Pat. No. 7,472,758 to Stevens and Weintraub; U.S. Pat. No. 7,610,966 to Weintraub et al; U.S. Pat. No. 5,518,075 to Williams; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,884,307 to Williams. The array of conventional fire suppression systems vary from pendulum swing apparatus (Stager '461), to canister systems (Williams '307 and Stager '677), or to tube connecting systems for liquid effluent (Mikulec '278). The array of conventional fire suppression systems vary from activation by melting of a fusible pin (Stager '461), to melting a solder fusible plug (Stager '677), to burning of a fuse (Williams '307, Stevens '758), or to activating via a glass bulb fuse mechanism (Mikulec '278).
In conventional stovetop fire suppressor methods the release of the fire suppressing agent may occur in a single burst. In a stovetop fire condition, it may be desirable to provide a controlled release of a fire suppressing agent both in a pattern of distribution of the agent and in the release of the agent as a function of time. At the same time, it would desirable to maintain a rapid and reliable response to a fire condition.